SpaceCore – An Introduction

Work is beginning to come to fruition on an exciting new project at Triumph & Despair that will usher forth a series of posts and content that delve into a subject dubbed “SpaceCore”.

This is not wholly a work of originality. Though I have been influential in the development of its predecessors, SpaceCore is an extension of the works of SVD Press. I find it fitting, then, that my first major foray into this field is an homage and transliteration of one of SVD Press’ crowning achievements; converting Fane of the Heresiarch , found here, into Fane of the Sith Lords. Thus, I give you an introduction to both a mind-blowing new adventure for the FFG Star Wars system, as well as a introduction to the core design tenets to which it adheres.

The first draft of the conversion has just now been completed at a massive 60+ pages. Playtesting has been scheduled and the full adventure is expected to be released to the public on or around Christmas this year. Additionally, those readers fortunate enough to live in the proximity of Baltimore will have a chance to play this adventure at the Charm City Game Day mini con in Early January.

FANE OF THE SITH LORDS

With the recent destruction of the Death Star, the Empire has summoned the full might of the Galactic Navy to crush the Rebellion in the far reaches of the outer rim. This overreach has left The Emperor vulnerable to attack while residing in his personal den of evil, a vault holding priceless Jedi artifacts orbiting the Fortress-World of Byss. He is guarded by only a handful of the most loyal, vile, and dedicated servants, as well as hideous traps and the untold depths of the Dark Side of the Force.
You have assembled a small strike team to assault the Emperor’s star-palace, assassinate Palpatine, and end the Galactic Civil War once and for all before Imperial reinforcements arrive to stop you.

Do you have the speed, courage, and will to destroy the Emperor before succumbing to the temptations of the Dark Side?

WHAT IS SPACECORE?

This will not be a typical FFG Star Wars adventure and will challenge and push your expectations in unique ways.

– Difficult. The challenges in this adventure are designed to be especially difficult, requiring you to multitask, balance risk, adapt your strategies to complex and unpredictable scenarios, and decide on courses of action with incomplete information while under a pressing time limit.

– Deadly. Your crew will die quickly and often, sometimes as a result of instant death effects. The consequences for failure are severe. As such, each player controls up to 3 crew members, one at a time.

– Lucrative. The rewards found in this adventure are numerous, valuable, and very powerful.

– Over-the-Top. This adventure is brought to life with extravagant threats and an adventure site that is both evocative and gruesome.

– Bleak. The world in which this adventures take place is a grim, amoral, violent, and unhappy conclave of The Emperor’s darkest designs.

– Game-Oriented. This adventure emphasizes your struggle to ‘win’ the module by overcoming the challenges presented to you by the Galaxy Master. Player knowledge takes center stage in many scenes. Metagaming is encouraged.

SURVIVING THE FANE

While making your way through the Emperor’s lair, keep the following advice in mind. It might mean the difference between life and death.

– Your character is going to die. The Fane is full of deadly traps, tricks, and enemies, some of which can kill your character instantly. The challenges ahead are not impossible, but the consequences for failure are extreme. Make your peace with it.

– Your ability as a player will be tested. Powers and skill checks will only take you so far. Be prepared to weigh trade-offs, work out puzzles, and interact with the environment based on your own abilities. Feel encouraged to metagame and rely on your knowledge of gaming tropes. Be creative and think laterally.

– You’re managing risk. Embrace the element of chance. In adventures like this, strategy and tactics are often used not to work out the ‘correct’ course of action, but rather the one that carries the least possible risk. There is no such thing as a plan that is completely safe or guaranteed to be successful.

– Assume everything is dangerous unless you’ve got a good reason to think otherwise. The secret Sith stronghold of the Emperor is a very treacherous place, and one wrong move can be deadly. Try to learn as much as you can about something before you tinker with it. Feel encouraged to move on to another part of the space station and look for more clues before coming back later.

– Details are important. Clues in the Fane are both subtle and obscure. Pay really close attention to the details, keeping an eye out for patterns, symmetry, parallelism, and differences. Note that a puzzle and its clues are sometimes not in the same room.

– Fight to the death only when necessary. The enemies in the Fane are numerous and overwhelmingly powerful. Stand and fight to the last crew member only if you’re sure there’s no alternative.

– Move quickly. You have limited time, so act quickly and decisively. Don’t loiter too long in a single place, and don’t waste time arguing with one another.

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About C. Steven Ross

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 4th, 2013 at 7:13 pm and tagged with heist, sith, SpaceCore and posted in Heists, RPG Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.